The present invention generally relates to protective head gear used during sporting activities, such as bicycle helmets, roller skating helmets, skateboarding helmets, snow boarding helmets, and skiing helmets. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sports helmet having integral speakers and an audio jack for connection to a portable audio device to allow the wearer to listen to music or other desirable sounds during the sporting activity.
In recent years, it has been customary, and often mandatory, for bicycle riders and others to wear helmets to protect their heads from injury in case of an accident. Sports activities can be more enjoyable while listening to music or other audio entertainment. Many portable radios, tape players, compact disk players, MP3 players and the similar sound generating devices exist which facilitate such listening during sports activities. Accordingly, it is well-known that bicycle riders, roller bladers, skate boarders and the like wear headphones over their ears to listen to music and other audio material while riding. However, positioning the head phones directly over or even into the ears prevents the rider from hearing important sounds like traffic, police cars and fire trucks. This practice can be very dangerous and is illegal in some states. Also, maintaining the speakers in the ears during such sporting activities is difficult due to the movements during the activity.
There are known helmets which have integral speakers. For example, there exist designs for football helmets having integral audio speakers and an antenna for reception of audio signals. However, the design of such helmets is not applicable to bicycle and skating helmets as the ears of the rider are typically not covered by the protective helmet, and the rider typically desires to listen to music provided through a portable device, such as the aforementioned tape players, compact disk players and the like.
There are also known many motorcycle helmets having speakers fixed to the interior of the helmet. Typically, microphones are attached to the helmet to provide motorcycle riders the ability to speak to one another. A male jack often extends from an end of an electrical cord for insertion into a female jack of audio equipment built into the motorcycle for the listening of music, etc. Alternatively, the helmets include antennas and the like for reception of audio signals, typically radio frequency signals, emitted from the other riders microphone system, or local radio stations. However, these motorcycle sound systems are fairly complicated and not implementable into the bicycle and skating helmets of the present invention. Also, the speakers of such systems are often placed directly over the ear of the wearer of the motorcycle helmet, and, with the hard shell exterior of the motorcycle helmet covering the ear, shields external sounds from being adequately heard by the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,421 issued on Nov. 7, 1995 to McCormick et al, discloses a sports helmet with portable audio sound producing capabilities. The patent claims a kit for converting an existing sports helmet for portable audio sound producing capabilities by attaching speakers and wiring to a lower rim portion of the helmet using prongs and mating projections. However, the inventors of the present invention believe that this design is not as appealing as an integral speaker system built into a sports helmet. Also, the McCormick helmet places the speakers very close to the ears and oriented such that the sound and music is directed into the ear canal of the wearer. As described above, this can be dangerous.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a sports helmet having integral speakers which are attachable to a portable audio device and safely positioned and oriented. The present invention fulfills this need and provides other related advantages.